


He Does Care

by Navigator_Atlas



Category: Dinotopia - James Gurney
Genre: Bullet wound, Dinotopia TV series does not exist, F/M, Fever, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Angst, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Missing Scene, Parental Frank Scott, Sickfic, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:01:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navigator_Atlas/pseuds/Navigator_Atlas
Summary: In Part 3 of the Dinotopia Mini-series from 2002, Karl gets shot in the leg. They never really get to take care of it and there are some missing scenes.
Relationships: David Scott & Karl Scott, Frank Scott & Karl Scott, Karl Scott/Marion Waldo
Comments: 5





	He Does Care

Karl POV

“You okay?” David asked.

Karl was definitely not okay. He’d been shot in the leg for fuck’s sake, and, on top of that, had to swim through a nearly endless tunnel of water on said leg, “Yeah.”

The trio exited the temple, pausing shortly before the half-underwater bridge.

“Okay, Dad? whatever you do, don’t step in the water.” said David.

“Why?”

“You don’t want to know.”

Karl smiled in amusement, remembering the fiasco that was their first visit to the temple.

A loud screech erupted from behind them as they reached the other side of the bridge. Turning around in a moment of fear, they saw an enormous skybax perched on the temple entrance.

Karl felt his dad adjust his grip, in an attempt to back away from the creature, “What is that?”

“Relax, Dad. It’s just Freefall, my skybax.” responded David, “I’m going to go back to Waterfall City, and I’ll send for help.” David mounted Freefall before smiling at them, “Karl, look out for Dad, okay?”

Karl nodded, although he was beginning to feel like it might be the other way around. His leg burned and he was beginning to have to lean heavier onto his father.

David took off to the sky like a knight in shining armor going to save the day. Before long, he was out of sight.

The day’s events started to catch up to Karl in that moment. His head was starting to spin and- were there two temple entrances now? He didn’t know, all that he did know was that his leg was beginning to feel like a dozen needles were poking at it the longer he stood on it.

“Karl, this is magnificent! A world with both dinosaurs and humans! This is incredible! And, not to mention, you two seem to have grown so much in the past week and a half. I hope you’ll fill me in on everything that’s happened.”

Karl let out an affirmative hum. Damn, he just wanted to sit down, no, lay down, and take a quick nap. Yeah, that sounded good.

“Good. Oh, and Karl I- Karl?”

The edges of his vision were darkening, and he could feel himself slipping. He couldn’t hold himself up anymore. Vaguely, he could hear his father calling out in concern before Karl’s arm slipped from his grasp, and he fell onto the dirt.

In his last moments of awareness before unconsciousness, Karl felt his dad crouch down next to him, continuing to call his name, before it all became unintelligible. A moment later, everything faded to black. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karl slowly became aware of the feeling of warmth. His head was resting on something that felt hard. A rock? Before opening his eyes, he tried to move his leg, but quickly stopped when a searing pain flared from his wound.

He let out a groan of pain, that’s right, he had been shot.

“Karl? Karl, are you with me?”

Was that Dad? Karl’s eyes fluttered open, and were immediately greeted with his dad concernedly hovering over him, “Dad, what…”

His dad sighed in relief, “Take it easy, son. You about sent me to an early grave when you fainted like that. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Karl flushed in mild embarrassment, “I didn’t faint. Also, I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

His father sighed for an entirely different reason at Karl’s response.

Karl took this moment to take in his surroundings. Turns out he was right about his rock assessment. His dad must have leaned him on a small boulder while he was unconscious. The warmth he felt earlier was coming from a small campfire a little bit away from his feet.

“Dad?”

“Yes, son?”

“We have to go back down to The World Beneath and get the sunstones.”

His father stared at him blankly before placing the back of his hand on Karl’s forehead, “No fever…”

“Dad, I'm serious. It’s important.”

“Son, there is no way we’re going back down there, especially not with you in the condition you’re in!” His dad’s voice picked up in urgency at the end of his answer.

Part of him knew his dad was right. Karl couldn’t carry any sunstones with him, let alone walk without support, but the sunstones were a necessity to the safety of Dinotopia and its people. Much as he loathe to admit, he had begun to care about the place.

“We have to try.” Karl said, gentler than he ever had been before.

His father’s face softened, “Maybe you can explain to me why.”

And Karl did. He told him of their arrival to Dinotopia and Waterfall City. He told him of his teachings at the hatchery and how dinosaurs and humans share a life bond. He told him of David’s bravery in the skybax squadron. And most importantly, he told him of Marion, her strength, her kindness, and her patience.

His dad shot him a knowing look with a smile, “This Marion girl sounds very important to you, Karl.”

He felt his face heat up again, maybe he was getting a fever.

“Alright then, we’ll try, but if this becomes too much for you, we’re going to stop, okay?”

“Okay.” Karl smiled.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They came up, gulping for air, carrying their last sack of sunstones. Retrieving them mostly went without a hitch. Mostly, because, even though they were able to gather enough sunstones for a whole planet, Karl’s leg was screaming in agony, not that he’d tell his father that, though.

“You alright, son?”

And Karl said, “Yes.” you know, like a liar.

The father and son hauled themselves out of the basin of water, lugging the heavy sack of sunstones out of the water with them.

As soon as Karl’s leg made contact with the ground, pain travelled up his entire right side.

“Aaugh!” Karl staggered, painfully.

“Karl! Karl are you alright?!” His father dropped his side of the sack to the ground, and hurried over to his son. He put his hand on Karl’s shoulder in support, looking him over.

Karl’s face was pale and set in a pained grimace, “Dad, Dad I’m fine. It’s okay. I’m alright.”

“Alright my ass, Karl! I told you not to push yourself too hard!”

“Well, it’s done anyways! Now lay off me, okay?!” He snarled, although it was more pitiful than anything else, considering he was leaning heavily against the basin and clearly couldn’t lift himself up even if he wanted to.

His father frowned, “Here, let’s get you sitting down. I’ll come back for the last of the sunstones.”

Karl only had strength left to nod.

He lifted Karl’s arm onto his shoulder, nearly carrying all of his weight, “Alright, son, alright. Let’s go slowly.”

They made their way across the bridge, and Karl felt his dad lower him onto the ground, leaning him up against another boulder. He wasn't exactly sure when his eyes had slipped closed.

Distantly, he heard his dad’s footsteps fade as he walked back into the temple to grab the stones.

Karl let the comforting blackness reclaim him once more.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He started to come around when sunlight began to filter through his eyelids.

His eyes blinked open, and he was greeted with the sight of the morning sky above him. Although, he could barely enjoy it because with awareness came pain. And, to be honest, he felt like shit.

Karl could barely lift his head to look out at their makeshift campsite.

His father was asleep on the ground, with his head on a pillow of leaves. The pile of sunstones they had gathered from The World Beneath were in a corner, covered by large leaves so their light wouldn’t be so blinding.

Karl heard movement coming from his dad’s side of the campsite and he weakly turned his head in that direction. His dad was beginning to stir, probably due to the sunlight filtering through the trees as it had for Karl.

He opened his eyes slowly, and pushed himself off of the ground, looking around the campsite before his eyes landed on his son, “Karl, you’re awake! How are you feeling?” His dad pulled himself closer.

“Fine.”

“Bullshit, you look like death warmed over.” He placed his hand on Karl’s forehead once again and frowned, “You feel warm.”

Karl couldn’t say he was too surprised, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt this weak before, not even when he had the flu.

His dad cursed, “Damn it, where’s that rescue David promised to send for?”

Karl was beginning to wonder the same thing until a rumble shook the ground beneath him.

“What is that?” His father asked in fear.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I think…that’s our help.”

Before long, a large dinosaur duo and their riders were revealed through the trees. Karl saw one of riders look in their direction, eyes widened, and motioned for her companion to move in their direction.

The dinosaurs paused in front of them as the lady rider, slid off its back, “Are you Karl and Frank Scott?”

His father spoke for them, “Yes.”

She smiled, “Wonderful! We were beginning to worry we wouldn’t find you! My name is Xara and this is Tiori,” Xara pointed to her ride, “Please climb on and we’ll take you back to Waterfall City.”

“Wait!” Frank said, urgently, “Is there a way to get these sunstones back to your city?”

“Sunstones?” Xara’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” Karl’s father stood up from Karl’s side, approached their hidden pile of stones, and took the leaves off of it, “is there any way we can transport these?”

The light was blinding, causing Karl’s steadily forming headache to feel exponentially worse, although he said nothing. His father put the leaves back on.

“I- I…There’s an outpost not too far from here. We can grab a crate to transport these from there. I’ll stay here.” She looked back at her companion rider, “Piers, take Tiori and Laxwara to the outpost and bring back one of their transport crates.”

Piers nodded, turning around to head to the outpost, Tiori following close behind.

“Well! That’s taken care of! How on earth did you find this many sunstones?”

Karl took this opportunity to finally speak, although, he loathed to admit, his voice came out shallow and raspy, “We’ve been to The World Beneath. There’s enough sunstones to last for centuries down there.”

Xara looked at him, as though just noticing him for the first time, “The World Beneath? But that’s impossible.”

“ ‘Fraid not.” Karl shivered, was it always this cold?

Frank’s eyebrows pinched together in concern, but he said nothing.

Not long after, the trio heard the lumbering steps of the two dinosaurs heading in their direction. When Piers, Tiori and Laxwara appeared, they were hauling a large, empty crate, big enough to fit the sunstone pile into.

“Ah wonderful! It’s perfect!” Xara beamed, “Alright can you boys help me load the cargo into the crate?”

“Right, about that….” Karl’s father’s eyes travelled to him, “My son is hurt and I think the wound may be infected. He can’t walk let alone load sunstones into a cargo transport.”

Her eyes widened, “Oh?” She turned to Karl, sympathy radiating from her expression, “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

As her eyes bore into him, he couldn’t help but feel awkward about the attention. Don’t get him wrong, she was pretty, but she wasn’t Marion, “It didn’t seem like a good time.”

She frowned, but stood up, “Alright, Frank Scott? You, Piers and I will load the transport and then we’ll all head for Waterfall City.”

The three dutifully loaded the cargo and then proceeded to cover it with a large tarp to block the light emanating from the stones.

They were quick to finish, especially his father, who seemed to be in a hurry.

His father approached him, “Alright, Karl, work with me here.” He reached down and looped Karl’s arm around his shoulder, and lifted.

If Karl thought he was in pain before, he was mistaken. If hell was a feeling, he imagined this would be it. Karl let out a hiss as his right leg met the earth.

“I’m sorry, son. I’m sorry. I know it hurts c’mon.” Frank was practically supporting his full weight, “Hey, Xara, could I get your help over here?”

“Of course!”

She approached the father and son, looping Karl’s other arm around her own shoulders. They more or less dragged him to Tiori, and he felt a bit embarrassed that he was incapable of such a simple task as walking.

They raised him onto one of the seats where his dad joined him soon after. Karl leaned his head back, wanting to go back to sleep more than anything in the world.

As if reading his mind, his father said, “It’s alright, Karl. You can sleep for now.” He smiled, warmly.

Karl didn’t hesitate to take his advice. His eyes slipped closed and he knew no more.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone was shaking his shoulder.

“Wake up, son. We’re here.”

Karl opened his eyes and immediately noticed he was leaning against his father’s shoulder. He jumped back quickly, face burning in mortification, or was that the fever?

Frank chuckled in amusement and Karl resented the fact that he saw Xara grinning too before she swung her head back to the front.

In front of them was the large entrance to Waterfall City, a sight Karl had yet to get used to, and, as it seemed, his father was entranced by.

The gate opened for them and they entered the main square. Karl could see David run out of the Senate, surprise on his facial features before it was replaced by joy. The people were starting to crowd around their transport and-

Marion.

Karl could see her, smiling at him from the ground. All pain was forgotten. He practically leapt off Tiori before heading over to her.

However, their reunion was short lived, for the bumbling Mayor of Dinotopia came up to him and his father in all his robed glory. David followed closely behind. The Mayor congratulated the boys and shook their hands as well as ecstatically greeting their father.

Marion handed him 26 and, aw damn, was he happy to see the little girl again. He almost, almost, teared up, but before all that, he realized he had an announcement to make. Karl handed his father 26 before climbing up onto the transport.

“People of Dinotopia! The gates to The World Beneath…are open!” He dramatically pulled the tarp off of the sunstones, revealing them to all the dinotopians. People gasped in awe.

Karl lowered himself to the ground as people clapped him on the back. He heard a distant “Well done, Karl!” from somewhere in the crowd. People were cheering. Karl couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy.

But, of course, all good things must come to an end. Karl’s sudden wave of euphoria left him as all the pain from his wound came back. He staggered backward, his back connecting with the crate, harshly. He let out a pathetic-sounding whimper.

“Karl?” David was looking at him, “Karl what’s wrong?”

“I- it’s nothing, I just-,” Karl shifted his leg slightly and black dots danced on his vision as his right leg throbbed. He shut his eyes tightly in pain.

He felt a cool hand on his forehead, “He’s burning up!”

Karl weakly opened his eyes to find Marion in front of him, face pinched in concern and palm resting on his cheek. David and his father were behind her with equally concerned expressions.

“I-,” Karl started, but he didn’t get much else out before he slumped forward, caught by someone with strong arms, before he gave in to blissful unconsciousness.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karl was beginning to get tired of waking up like this.

Although, something about this time felt considerably more comfortable. He was laying on something soft, a bed perhaps.

He felt a cool towel be placed on his forehead. He groaned.

“Karl?” A girl’s voice asked, gently.

His eyes opened to the most beautiful face in the world.

“Marion?” He internally cursed at how weak that sounded.

She smiled, relieved, “Oh, Karl, I’m so glad you’re alright. I was terribly worried when you collapsed so suddenly.”

She cupped his face, “Our healer took good care of your infected wound. You’ll be back up and about, annoying people in no time.” She laughed a little bit.

Karl couldn’t help but smile as well. He was rather a nuisance around here, wasn’t he?

He raised his arm to cup her cheek as well. They stared at each other silently for a moment, before Marion gently lowered her face down to be right in front of Karl’s. Without a word, she kissed him softly, and he returned the favor.

It might have lasted longer if there wasn't a loud, “ahem,” to come from the doorway.

Karl and Marion sharply looked to the door to find a flustered David, and their father, who had that knowing smile again.

“I’ll be taking my leave, then,” Marion said, playfully, “boys.” She nodded at the two men in the door.

Karl attempted to remove the towel from his forehead, “Uh uh, mister,” his father spoke, coming over and replacing the towel where it was on his head, “that stays on until that fever of yours is gone.”

Karl groaned, “This is gonna be torture.”

“Maybe, but at least you get pretty girls to come visit you.” David joked.

They laughed, but soon Karl was lost in his own thoughts. He hadn’t really done anything to help anyone. Sure, he got the sunstones, but when people really needed help? David was the one who had charged into battle, saving lives, and being cool. What did that make Karl? The wimpy guy who- oh yeah, brought back some rocks. It didn't seem like much to him.

“Karl?” David brought him out of his depressive musings, “You were a hero today.”

And they smiled.

Maybe, there is hope for them yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks guys! I know this fandom is basically dead, but someone has to put content out there amiright?


End file.
